Thousands march in Paris after Chinese man's death by police

A protest over the death of a Chinese man killed by police drew some 6,000 people to central Paris

About 6,000 people took part in angry protests in Paris on Sunday against the death of a Chinese man shot and killed when police responded to a call at his apartment last month, police said.

The rally was organised by several Chinese associations in France, and as with previous rallies held over the past week, there were sporadic skirmishes between protesters and security forces.

Some of the demonstrators threw bottles, eggs and fruit, prompting the police to respond with tear gas during clashes that lasted more than an hour, according to an AFP photographer.

On March 26, Liu Shaoyo, a 56-year-old father of five, was shot by a police team called to his apartment in northeast Paris over a suspected domestic dispute.

Authorities say he attacked a policeman with a knife, causing injuries, and that another officer opened fire in self-defence, killing him.

But the dead man's family disputes the police version of the incident, saying that there was no domestic dispute and that he was shot without warning after a neighbour called the police about shouting.

The police are investigating the incident, and Beijing has called on Paris to "guarantee the safety and legal rights and interests of Chinese citizens in France.

"We want to maintain pressure and support the family to establish the truth and fight police violence," said Sacha Lin Jung of the Chinese Residents in France association, one of the protest's organisers.